Hard times spark boom in scam attempts

As people worry about their jobs and bank accounts, scam artists are willing to turn that fear into dollars.

San Diego, California resident Donna Thompson thought she was about to cash in on a bundle of money when she got a check in the mail for thousands of dollars.

The letter claimed to be from Publishers Clearinghouse, but the closer she looked at the letter, the more suspicious she got.

The letter and check came from Canada and included several misspellings.

While Thompson needed the money she thought better of cashing the check and now wants to warn others.

The Better Business Bureau is warning consumers to look out for scam artists who will prey on people's fear of the current economy.

Bogus offers and opportunities often come through the mail and the Internet.

E-mail scams have replaced traditional mail and phone calls as the top choice of scammers.

Many of the offers come from overseas where it is difficult to stop or catch potential thieves.

Consumers are warned to be cautious and not rush to respond to questionable offers.